The invention relates to the production of an oboe reed from a piece of cane and, more particularly, to an oboe reed gouging device having a limited degree of adjustment for the components of the device for enabling an oboist to produce his or her own oboe reeds.
An oboe is a musical instrument that uses a reed made from bamboo to create its sound. The oboist blows into a reed, which is made from two pieces of bamboo, or cane, that is strapped together and whittled or thinned in a very specific manner so that they vibrate against one another when air is blown between them. This vibration produces a sound that is then manipulated by the oboe to produce the different notes that are played. The manner in which the reed vibrates controls the quality of the sound or tone that the instrument produces. Altering the curve, symmetry, and thickness of the reed changes the sound produced by the oboe. Typically, the reeds are hand-made by the individual musician to meet their standards.
In the past, the gouge curve was cut with hand chisels and sand paper. This was not a very accurate or consistent process and resulted in lower quality reeds for the musician.
Currently, gouging machines are used to cut a curved surface onto the inside of the cane. Gouging machines control the action of a chisel-type curved planing blade that removes the soft material from the inside of bamboo or cane. The resulting contour cut into the bamboo is called the gouger curve. This curve is a critical element in controlling the sound or tone of the oboe reed. The shape of the curve resembles a crescent moon. The curve is thick in the center and tapers at a specific rate to the sides. A gouging machine needs to be able to control this taper and be able to adjust it according to the taste of the musician.
One example of a gouging machine is a double-radius gouge having a blade that cuts slightly off-center so that only one side of the cutter blade contour is cutting out cane. The cane is flipped repeatedly in its holder and re-gouged until the final dimensions are met.
Another type of gouging machine is a single radius gouge, which cuts down the middle of the cane without flipping the cane in the holder. Both sides of the taper are cut at the same time by the blade contour.
To change the measurements that are cut into the cane, the blade is adjusted. Some machines use a set of inclined planes that can be raised or lowered, or a wheel that acts as a stop.
To change the thickness of the gouge contour near the thinnest part of the taper, the location of the bed holding the cane is adjusted in relation to the blade. This causes either a greater or lesser displacement of the overlapping contours of the double-radius gouge.
However, ease of adjustment is a problem with the designs of currently existing gouging machines. To make any adjustment in the measurements of the contour, several different screws and adjustment mechanisms must be manipulated to effect a single measurement alteration. For example, if the two screws which control movement and/or alignment of the bed are not turned exactly the same amount, the bed will not be parallel to the main rod and the gouge contour will not be centered on the cane. It is very difficult to undo an experimental change if the results are not as hoped. For this reason, many oboists need an expert to make the adjustments. Since oboe reeds are tailored so specifically to each player, it is important that each player have the ability to make modifications to their machine and tweak the measurements produced until it best suits their individual needs.
Therefore, what is needed is an apparatus for gouging oboe reeds which utilizes a single adjustment mechanism for each adjustment made by an oboist for altering the contour and design of the reed.
An oboe reed gouging device for making an oboe reed includes a base having a first surface and an oppositely positioned second surface, a pair of pedestals attached to and extending upwardly from the first surface of the base, and a rod attached to and extending between the pedestals for mounting the rod in spaced apart relation to the first surface of the base. A bed is pivotally attached to the first surface of the base for holding an oboe reed material during gouging of the oboe reed material for making the oboe reed. The bed is positioned substantially parallel to the rod for positioning the oboe reed material substantially parallel to the rod. A carriage is slidably attached to the rod and engagable with the bed. The carriage may have a first carriage portion and a second carriage portion adjustable with respect to one another with the first carriage portion mounted on the rod and the second carriage portion movable toward and away from the bed A blade is positionable within the second carriage portion of the carriage for contacting and gouging the oboe reed material positioned on the bed of the oboe reed gouging device.
The oboe reed gouging device may further include a blade grip mechanism attached to the carriage and contactable with the blade. The blade grip mechanism includes a pair of cylinders, each cylinder having a substantially flat edge for contacting the side edges of the blade for substantially preventing pivotal movement of the blade. The oboe reed gouging device may also includes a blade advancing mechanism having a pushing screw attached to the blade, a collar and a knob attached to the pushing screw, and a groove positioned therebetween. Locating pins extending from the carriage are positioned within the groove for holding the blade within the carriage and for enabling the pushing screw to remain stationary as the blade advances and retracts.